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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. row — a line
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com